


Partners in Crime

by centipedelove (TheLigeia)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Thieves, M/M, Requested
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2015-06-07
Packaged: 2018-04-03 09:32:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4095919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLigeia/pseuds/centipedelove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Naruto isn't sure what to expect when he gets to work with the infamous <i>Sand Demon</i> on a job, but the cute redhead his age is definitely worth the wait.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Partners in Crime

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](http://centipedelove.tumblr.com/post/120318472455/narugaa-partners-in-crime-please)

Naruto had always been a trouble maker. It was just what he did. He liked causing havoc and playing pranks and the thrill that came with trying not to get caught. He didn't know when it lead to stealing to make a living, but he wasn't going to complain. He wasn't the only one he knew who did it either: Sakura, Sasuke, and even Hinata worked as hired hands whenever someone needed them, a whole little underground network of thieves and vigilantes with their own agendas.

Even though his primary income was stealing, Naruto didn't think of himself as a bad person. He stuck to jobs like stealing info to rat out dirty cops or politicians, or taking things back that rightfully belonged to someone else. Sasuke called him a wimp for sticking to things like that, but Naruto didn't care. He wasn't the type to try and make life harder for people unless they really deserved it.

Naruto wasn't against teaming up either, though usually it was with people he was familiar with. He didn't quite know what to do when Kakashi proposed him helping out a thief from a neighboring town with a big reputation, but he wasn't about to turn down a chance to meet the elusive "Sand Demon" he'd heard so much about. Plus, working with the _Sand Demon_ meant he'd get an obscene amount of money out of it considering how much the _Demon's_ services went for.

"Jeez, he's taking forever," Naruto groaned, rubbing his hands together to keep them warm as he waited at the meeting spot. He didn't know what to expect from another sixteen year old who was called _Sand Demon_ , so he wasn't sure if the guy would be easy to spot. He didn't know if the guy knew what he looked like either, so he started fretting about whether or not they would actually run into each other. There was too much that could go wrong with this meeting.

"Is that seat taken?" a low, smooth voice said from somewhere above Naruto. The blonde jerked his head up, blinking rapidly at the one who had spoken.

The first thing that got Naruto's attention was his eyes: seafoam colored and with dark circles underneath concealed merely by what looked like eyeliner. Next was the red tattoo on the guy's forehead, a single character, _ai_. Love. The boy's vibrant red hair was just as striking as the rest of him, and Naruto was a little floored by the entire situation. Also, Naruto _really_ had a thing for red hair.

"N-No, feel free," Naruto responded when he finally remembered how to speak, gesturing to the bench next to him. The redhead sat down without another word, gazing out at the park where they had chosen to meet up at. Well, that Kakashi had chosen for them and the other thief had agreed to. Naruto tried to keep his gaze forward too, but kept sneaking glances at the other. He wasn't mistaken, right? This was the guy?

"Our target is a local politician who has his nose too far into the underground and likes to falsely accuse innocents to get them out of his way," the redhead said, scrolling through his phone and looking at something Naruto couldn't quite make out. It was most likely just him pretending to look busy, but Naruto couldn't be sure.

"I would have taken the job myself but Hatake Kakashi suggested I take someone familiar with the city, and an extra pair of hands will help us find everything faster," the redhead added, looking at Naruto after a moment. The blonde jolted a little, but broke out one of his most charming grins to try and cover up the fact he had been staring.

"That's Kakashi for you, always looking out for the younger thieves. I'm Naruto, by the way. Uzumaki Naruto," he added with a grin, trying to get off on a good start with the _Sand Demon_ before their job. Being friendly never hurt, and hopefully he could get his way onto the guy's good side. If the _Sand Demon_ thought he was capable at what he did, it would definitely help Naruto's chances of getting better known in the underground.

"...Gaara," the redhead spoke after hesitating. He seemed like he wasn't sure what to think about Naruto being so friendly. Well, the guy was kinda intense, so maybe he was more used to people being intimidated by him. That might just be what Naruto needed to get Gaara's approval, or interest at the very least.

"We'd better get moving then, Gaara," Naruto said, standing up and going through the motions of stretching. He could feel those eyes on him as he did so, but Gaara didn't say anything; he merely stood, waiting for Naruto to finish his stretches before speaking.

"Let's go," is all Gaara said, Naruto giving an affirmative nod before they departed from the park. Naruto could barely control his giddiness, but managed to leave it at an excited grin. He couldn't wait to actually see the _Sand Demon_ at work.

\---

"Let's see... It should be right around here," Naruto mused aloud, rummaging through one of the file cabinets he and Gaara broke into. The redhead remained silent as he quickly searched through his own cabinet. They didn't have much time to waste, with guards still on patrol but unaware of their presence for now. It was a bit of a miracle they hadn't gotten caught yet, considering the few almost mishaps on Naruto's part. Three times he almost tripped a silent alarm, but Gaara was quick to intervene and disarm them. Though it wasn't great looking on Naruto's part, he was catching on to a lot of Gaara's techniques quickly.

"I found most of the files, but what about the rest?" Gaara asked, glancing up at Naruto after stuffing the files into his messenger bag. Naruto had recovered the remaining files, and hid them in his own bag. He gave Gaara a bright grin and thumbs up.

"Piece of cake! Now let's get out of here, please? We can drop these off and go grab ramen or something," Naruto added. Gaara seemed incredibly baffled by the offer, and oh lord it nearly broke Naruto's heart at how suspicious Gaara looked. No one should look so worried at being asked to go out for food together, regardless of the circumstances.

"...We can talk about this when we get out of here," Gaara murmured, sweeping the room with his gaze one final time to make sure nothing looked too out of place. Naruto nodded with enthusiasm, carefully letting Gaara take the lead in case he missed anything that could set off an alarm.

Really, it was kind of sad how easily Gaara and Naruto were able to slip out undetected, but Naruto decided he didn't want to push his luck. He waited to celebrate until they had safely exited the building unseen and made it down the street, releasing a sigh of relief when the building seemed to slip out of sight.

"Jeez, I'm glad that went well," Naruto sighed, stretching his arms above his head. Gaara glanced at him but didn't comment, focused on trying to lead them towards the location they were supposed to drop the files at. Naruto pouted a little at Gaara's silence, but kept quiet as they reached the drop off point.

The exchange was routine, the files traded for money and few words spoken between both parties. Naruto remained observant for once, figuring he didn't want to ruin whatever vibe was going even as they left the drop off location. Naruto was almost content to remain silent, when Gaara surprised him by talking first.

"You... were not the worst partner I could have ended up with," Gaara admitted quietly, making Naruto freeze in his tracks. Did he actually, really, just get complimented by the _Sand Demon_ himself?

Naruto gaped in disbelief at the other thief, who refused to make eye contact and proceeded to walk down the sidewalk. Naruto quickly caught up, his grin huge. Gaara was a little startled by the way Naruto was _beaming_ at him.

"What is it?" Gaara eventually asked, slightly concerned for the grinning boy's mental health.

"That seemed like fairly high praise coming from you," Naruto pointed out, giving a quick shrug of his shoulders. He directed Gaara with him towards his favorite ramen place, one of the only ones in the city that would actually be open in the middle of the night.

"I guess I'm just glad I didn't make a total fool of myself," Naruto shrugged, still smiling that blinding grin of his. Gaara had to look away to think of a decent response.

"You make mistakes, but you seem to pick things up quickly and know what needs to be done. I... don't hate people like that," Gaara mumbled, keeping his gaze firmly on what was directly in front of him. This was becoming way too embarrassing for him, and he didn't get embarrassed easily at all. He wasn't supposed to actually _like_ the person he teamed up with; he was supposed to tolerate them at most and be thankful for an ally in this city in case he needed to get out or pull a job somewhere besides his town to lay low. Naruto though... there was something about him that resounded with Gaara. It was kind of infuriating.

Naruto didn't know how to respond at all, turning red up to his ears and gawking openly at the thief. It was just a bit too much, being complimented even backhandedly from someone so infamous and good looking. Naruto wasn't sure he could take much more of it without doing something really stupid.

"You should definitely come on a job with me if you're ever back in town," Naruto blurted out when they sat down to eat. Gaara was a little startled by the sudden declaration, considering the amicable quiet between them up until that point.

"W-We don't make a bad team after all," Naruto stuttered out quickly, trying to play it off with a grin and lots of color in his cheeks. Gaara glanced away again, focusing on his food.

"I wouldn't be opposed to that, Naruto," Gaara said after a moment, risking a sideways glance at the blonde thief. Naruto looked positively awestruck, color still remaining in Naruto's cheeks, and Gaara could feel a slight warmth in his own face as well. Only slightly though.

"I knew it," Naruto breathed out after a moment, drawing Gaara's gaze again. He still had on that sort of dazed expression, and Gaara was almost afraid to ask.

"Knew what?" he found himself saying anyways, frowning a little when Naruto broke out into a wide grin.

"Redheads are definitely my type."

**Author's Note:**

> I actually love narugaa and crime aus so don't be too surprised if I write something else for this au soon.


End file.
